The NFL is one of the many businesses impacted by the outbreak of coronavirus. The league will be impacted in the offseason, unlike the NBA, MLS and NHL, which are all dealing with managing the virus amid an active (or suspended) regular season. But the NFL is already beginning to change their protocols and their offseason processes.
At this point in the offseason calendar, coaches and scouts are typically on the road to interview, observe and work out draft prospects. However, teams are already pulling their staffers from their typical travel schedule. There is also talk of shutting down facilities. No meetings with teams, no workouts, no pre-draft visits (a.k.a. “Top 3 visits”) and limited medical information.
After chatting with agents, coaches and scouts, here’s what may happen around the biggest events in the NFL offseason,
NFL free agency
Logistics: The NFL told For The Win that the league has “no plans to change the league year date.” At this point, the 2020 season begins on March 18, which would mark the open of NFL free agency. The tampering period opens on March 16. The NFL has made no indication they would change that date. For now, NFL free agency is on pace to happen, as scheduled.
Behind the scenes: Agents and coaches didn’t express much concern about the machinations for free agency. Contract negotiations often happen by phone. It’s growing rarer to have teams wine-and-dine elite players, as the market moves so quickly when the tampering period opens.
Once the big names go off the market, however, there’s a greater chance for stagnancy. And that may be particularly true for players with medical question marks. If teams shut down their facilities, they may not be able to conduct workouts or physicals – something that all teams prefer to do before a player officially signs. That could create a new waiting period, where teams “agree to terms” but don’t actually finalize the deal.
If NFL teams in fact shut down their training facilities, as many are now discussing, then it would be challenging at best to start the new league year next week, when buildings are closed and more pressing issues face their communities and this country. https://t.co/ReXxk5CZdH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2020
Owners’ meetings
Logistics: As it stands, the owners’ meetings are scheduled for March 29 to April 1. But there’s no way it happens in its typical form, a meetup in Palm Beach, Florida, which includes coaches, GMs and owners. Perhaps the league will get creative to stage a digital conference. Perhaps they’ll cancel it altogether.
Behind the scenes: Teams proposed seven rule changes for this season. Perhaps the NFL will keep its rulebook intact for 2020 by deferring to voting on those rules for the 2021 offseason.
Here’s a look at the 2020 rules change proposals submitted by the clubs: https://t.co/Wkwst9sraf pic.twitter.com/mTm5YTk86P
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) March 10, 2020
NFL Draft
Logistics: The NFL scheduled the draft from April 23 to April 25. Don’t be surprised if the league elects to move back those dates. (More on that in a second.) The league was also planning on hosting the event in Las Vegas. And again, don’t be surprised if the physical event gets cancelled. The draft’s top prospects will probably not spend their draft night in the green room. Instead, they’ll probably watch from home. And disappointingly, no one will get to ride that draft boat to meet commissioner Roger Goodell on the stage. The NFL’s showmanship will not be on display. No one will be there to boo the commissioner when he announces the No. 1 overall pick. Instead, the NFL will probably stage a small-scale, closed event with broadcast teams covering the event remotely as the picks come in digitally.
I’ve been notified that the @NFL has cancelled all draftee facility visits.
•Jordyn Brooks (LB- Tx Tech)- had 15 scheduled.
•Brandon Jones (DB- Texas)- had 8 scheduled.
•Devin Duvernay (WR- Texas)- had 6 + 7 private workouts.— Erik Burkhardt (@ErikBurkhardt) March 12, 2020
Behind the scenes: The pre-draft process will be different. Pro Days are getting cancelled, which is notable for the players who felt they didn’t run their best 3-cone time or 40-yard dash at the combine. Injured players may not have gotten a chance to participate in any exercises at the combine. And Top 30 visits are cancelled league-wide. Those visits provide teams a chance to conduct workouts and, in some cases, full-day job interviews with the prospects. Smart players will be disappointed to have fewer chances to prove themselves to teams on the whiteboard. Players with “character flags” from the Combine may fall through the cracks. Medical information could be harder to come by. What’s more, there will be even less information available on small school prospects, late-round picks and undrafted free agents. If the information shortage is so pronounced, the league could delay the draft.
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